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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · stem · prune · bowl · vault · cue · can · mark

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. cue — for pool
  5. stem — to come from
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. can — to be able to
  13. mark — a trace
  14. fork — in a road
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mark — a grade
  17. prune — to trim
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. cue — a hint
  22. can — a tin
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. stem — a stem cell

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com